Combination liquid container and drinking straw

ABSTRACT

A liquid containing body substantially square in outline having a circumferential flange on its surrounding walls, has a first lid sealed on said flange, said first lid having an elongated recess therein dimensioned to have a U-shaped drinking straw nest therein and insulated from the container contents. Said first lid also has a puncturable depression spaced from said recess and dimensioned to permit insertion of one end of the straw to separate the walls of said depression. A preferably transparent second lid is sealed on said first lid thus dealing said recess and said depression from the outside air. An unsealed tongue at one corner of said second lid permits grasping thereof to tear back the second lid to expose the straw and the depression. The container body and said first lid are formed of a relatively stiff plastic sheet material and said second lid is formed of a thinner and more flexible plastic material.

United States Patent [191 Chang Apr. 1, 1975 COMBINATION LIQUIDCONTAINER AND DRINKING STRAW [75] Inventor: Henry M. Chang, New York,N.Y.

[73] Assignee: First Dynamics, Inc., New York,

[22] Filed: June 25, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 373,250

[52] US. Cl 220/90.2, 215/1 A, 220/85 D, 229/7 S, 220/27, 206/217 [51]Int. Cl A47g 19/22 [58] Field of Search 206/217; 220/90.2, 27; 215/1 A;229/75, 1.5 C; 222/143 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS1,148,683 8/1915 Hothersall 220/27 1,333,297 3/1920 Eulberg 220/24 R1,514,379 11/1924 Fleischer 229/l.5 C 3,229,847 l/1966 Fox, .Ir 220/273,412,901 11/1968 lzumi 229/43 3,524,566 8/1970 Parks 220/90.2

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,538,893 7/1968 France 220/90.2

913,009 12/1962 UnitedKingdom 220/265 Primary ExaminerWilliam T. Dixson,Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmFrank Ledermann [5 7 ABSTRACT A liquidcontaining body substantially square in outline having a circumferentialflange on its surrounding walls, has a first lid sealed on said flange,said first lid having an elongated recess therein dimensioned to have aU-shaped drinking straw nest therein and insulated from the containercontents. Said first lid also has a puncturable depression spaced fromsaid recess and dimensioned to permit insertion of one end of the strawto separate the walls of said depression. A preferably transparentsecond lid is sealed on said first lid thus dealing said recess and saiddepression from the outside air. An unsealed tongue at one corner ofsaid second lid permits grasping thereof to tear back the second lid toexpose the straw and the depression. The container body and said firstlid are formed of a relatively stiff plastic sheet material and saidsecond lid is formed of a thinner and more flexible plastic material.

8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures COMBINATION LIQUID CONTAINER AND DRINKINGSTRAW Referring briefly to the accompanying drawings, FIG. I is a topperspective veiw of the complete instant cntainer, showing in brokenlines the straw in the strawreceiving recess and the puncturablestraw-insertion depression. FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the containerbody per se, with both the first and second lids omitted.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the complete container andshowing in phantom the second lid partly torn back.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the first lid with a twolegged U-shapeddrinking straw nesting in its recess.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating how the straw may be used to puncture thestraw-insertion depression, it being assumed that the second lid, notshown, has been torn off.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 5 but showing thestraw-insertion portion punctured and the straw entered into thecontainer body.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 3 but showing a modifiedform of the graspable tongue at a corner of the second lid.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates thecontainer body having a flat bottom wall 11 and four upstanding sidewalls 12. The juxtaposed corner portions of the walls 12, shown at 12a,are flat and lie in planes at 45 angles to the side walls. To strengthenthe container walls, the portions thereof between the portions l2a areprovided with corrugations 13. An outwardly extending circumferentialflange 14 extends from the top edges of the surrounding walls 12.

A first lid 15, complementary in dimensions to the outer dimensions ofthe flange 14, is heat sealed to the flange and has an elongateddiagonal recess 16 formed therein.

A U-shaped or two-legged drinking straw 17 is shown nesting in therecess 16. Such bendable straws, having their two end portions or legsjointed by a fluited bendable connecting portion 20, are readilyavailable on the market with their legs I8 and I9 normally aligned.

Both side walls of the recess 16 extend substantially upright from itsflat bottom wall 22, as shown at 21, and the recess has a widenedportion 23 on one side to form approximately a semi-circularflnger-ti-insertion extension to facilitate grasping the straw to liftit from the recess.

Spaced preferably near a corner of the lid other than the cornersadjacent the ends of the recess 16, is a puncturable straw-insertiondepression 24. This depression is preferably of inverted pyramidal shapehaving three triangular walls 25, and it is formed by a thermal diewhich thins the walls 25 without separating them. Thus the depressionnormally remains closed but is readily puncturable upon passing an endof the straw downward thereino and through, as illustrated in FIGS. 6and 7.

A second or top lid 26, formed of a flexible and relatively thin andpreferably transparent plastic sheet material, has the same shape anddimensions as the first lid 15 except that one corner portion 25 extendsbeyond a corner portion of the flange 14, that is, beyond a corner oftheflange above a body portion 12a. Thus an unsealed readily graspabletongue 27 is formed on the second lid 26 so that the latter may bereadily torn away to expose the depression 24 and the straw 17.

The vertical corrugations in the container side walls obviouslystrengthen such walls, and the flat corner wall portions 12a minimizepossible damage to the container corners. The transparency of the secondlid 26 makes the straw and the depression 24 visible in the marketedfilled container.

An alternative graspable tongue structure as part of the top lid 26a isillustrated in FIG. 8. Otherwise identical to the lid 26, the lid 26adoes not extend beyond the flange 14 and only a rear portion of the lidcorner is sealed to the lid 15, thus leaving a readily graspable tongue270.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination, a liquid container body substantially square inoutline including a bottom wall and four upstanding surrounding walls,said surrounding walls having a circumferential flange extending outwardfrom the top edges thereof, a first lid sealed to said flange andclosing said body, said first lid having an elongated diagonal recesstherein and a puncturable depression therein spaced from said recess, adrinking straw nesting in said recess, a second lid sealed on said firstlid and covering said first lid throughout the area of said first lidand hence sealing said recess and said depression from the outside air,said body and said first lid being formed of relatively stiff plasticsheet material, said second lid being formed of plastic sheet materialwhich is more flexible and thinner than said relatively stiff material,said depression being a pyramidal shape and hence having triangularwalls extending downward into said body, said triangular walls beingthinner than the remainder of said first lid and hence readily separableupon pressing downward thereinto one end of said straw.

2. A combination according to claim I, said material of which saidsecond lid is formed being transparent.

3. A combination according to claim 2, said second lid having anunsealed corner thereof extending outward beyond the correspondingcorner portions of said first lid and said flange thereby providing areadily graspable tongue.

4. A combination according to claim 2, said second lid having a cornerportion thereof extending over but not beyond the corresponding cornerportions of said first lid and said flange, said corner portion of saidsecond lid having only an inwardly extending portion thereof sealed tosaid corresponding corner portion of said first lid thereby providing areadily graspable tongue.

5. A combination according to claim 2, said straw being U-shaped andconsisting of two legs joined by a bendable portion.

6. A combination according to claim 5, said recess having a width aleast equal to twice the diameter of said straw, said straw having saidlegs thereof positioned side by side.

7. A combination according to claim I, said triangular walls being threein number whence said depression is triangular in cross-section.

8. A combination according to claim 1, one of the two side walls of saidrecess having a widened portion between the ends thereof substantialllysemi-circular in

1. In combination, a liquid container body substantially square inoutline including a bottom wall and four upstanding surrounding walls,said surrounding walls having a circumferential flange extending outwardfrom the top edges thereof, a first lid sealed to said flange andclosing said body, said first lid having an elongated diagonal recesstherein and a puncturable depression therein spaced from said recess, adrinking straw nesting in said recess, a second lid sealed on said firstlid and covering said first lid throughout the area of said first lidand hence sealing said recess and said depression from the outside air,said body and said first lid being formed of relatively stiff plasticsheet material, said second lid being formed of plastic sheet materialwhich is more flexible and thinner than said relatively stiff material,said depression being a pyramidal shape and hence having triangularwalls extending downward into said body, said triangular walls beingthinner than the remainder of said first lid and hence readily separableupon pressing downward thereinto one end of said straw.
 2. A combinationaccording to claim 1, said material of which said second lid is formedbeing transparent.
 3. A combination according to claim 2, said secondlid having an unsealed corner thereof extending outward beyond thecorresponding corner portions of said first lid and said flange therebyproviding a readily graspable tongue.
 4. A combination according toclaim 2, said second lid having a corner portion thereof extending overbut not beyond the corresponding corner portions of said first lid andsaid flange, said corner portion of said second lid having only aninwardly extending portion thereof sealed to said corresponding cornerportion of said first lid thereby providing a readily graspable tongue.5. A combination according to claim 2, said straw being U-shaped andconsisting of two legs joined by a bendable portion.
 6. A combinationaccording to claim 5, said recess having a width a least equal to twicethe diameter of said straw, said straw having said legs thereofpositioned side by side.
 7. A combination according to claim 1, saidtriangular walls being three in number whence said depression istriangular in cross-section.
 8. A combination according to claim 1, oneof the two side walls of said recesS having a widened portion betweenthe ends thereof substantiallly semi-circular in outline.